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2nd grade · Social Studies · Unit 6 of 12

Symbols, Songs & Landmarks

The mockingbird, the bluebonnet and Uncle Sam

What your child practices

State and national birds and flowers, Uncle Sam, the two pledges, “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful,” and landmarks such as the Alamo, the Texas Capitol and the White House.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 2.1(B); 2.11(A); 2.11(B); 2.11(C); 2.11(D); 2.11(E) · landmarks, the pledges, patriotic songs, state and national symbols, and voting

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. A symbol stands for a place or idea. Uncle Sam stands for the United States.
  2. Texas symbols: the bluebonnet (flower) and the mockingbird (bird).
  3. Landmarks, like the Alamo, remind us of important events.

Example: What is the state flower of Texas? It is a blue wildflower. It is the bluebonnet. Answer: the bluebonnet

Symbols, Songs & Landmarks in Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 6 of 12 in 2nd grade Social Studies, after Our Community Changes and before People Who Made a Difference.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    The Statue of Liberty stands for…

    • sports
    • freedom
    • farming
    • weather

  2. Question 2

    “O say can you see” is the first line of…

    • The Star-Spangled Banner
    • America the Beautiful
    • Happy Birthday
    • Texas, Our Texas

  3. Question 3

    How does a class use voting to pick a field trip?

    • each student gets one vote and the most votes wins
    • the loudest picks
    • nobody picks
    • the teacher's pet picks

  4. Question 4

    Uncle Sam is a symbol of…

    • a sports team
    • the United States
    • a city
    • Texas

  5. Question 5

    Uncle Sam usually wears a tall hat with…

    • flowers
    • feathers
    • stars and stripes
    • polka dots

  6. Question 6

    Francis Scott Key wrote the national anthem after watching a battle at…

    • Fort McHenry
    • San Jacinto
    • the Alamo
    • Gettysburg

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